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Today is #WorldBrailleDay where we celebrate Braille Literacy and Learning!

We all know what Braille is....

We've seen it on just about every signage on doors, walls, and a multitude of other places.

While I was surfing Twitter I came across this tweet:

When asked why they don't teach Braille, many teachers and counselors "believe it to be unnecessary due to technological advances and too difficult to learn." But we know #BrailleIsBeautifulhttps://t.co/0NfWb7adb1

This made me sad, these teachers and counselors forget a major group that's usually dependent on Braille - the Deafblind.

Sure, there are some Deafblind individuals who can rely on their limited hearing for auditory input from audiobooks and screenreaders. Then there are some Deafblind who can read enlarged print (like myself). But that doesn't help those who don't have this capability.

Did you know that many Blind and Deafblind are lagging behind in school and colleges because their textbooks and materials aren't readily available in a Braille format? Thanks to technology like the refreshable braille display this problem is being remedied to a point.

These refreshable braille displays are not cheap - they range from $3,500 to $15,000, depending on the number of characters displayed. Some are complete "notetakers" with computing capabilities, while others plug into a USB port on your computer and acts as a keyboard/screenreader.

Thanks to an organization called iCanConnect - the National Deafblind Equipment Distribution Program - Deafblind individuals can obtain equipment and software to help "connect" with their family, friends and the world around them.